I'm thrilled to be joining my fellow faculty members
later this month to teach at the 5-day national training institute presented by
the Association of Workplace
Investigators ("AWI") in Santa Barbara, CA. The AWI is a
nonprofit with a stated mission "to promote and support workplace
investigations as a distinct area of expertise and to enhance the quality of
workplace investigations." Although AWI is a relatively new organization
(incorporated in 2009), it has grown quickly and today has over 350 members and
the training institute
has been sold out for over a month.

In 2012, the AWI released its Guiding
Principles for Conducting Impartial Workplace Investigations. These
Guiding Principles were developed over a two and half-year period with input
from the charter members of the AWI. They provide a general framework and
guidance for conducting internal investigations into allegations of workplace
misconduct such as harassment, discrimination and retaliation. Click here for a copy of the AWI Guiding Principles.

Here are a few of the reasons I encourage employers to
consider implementing the AWI Guiding Principles.

Reinforce compliance with legal
requirements. Being compliant with relevant legal
requirements is the absolute minimum standard that organizations must achieve.
The AWI Guiding Principles reinforce compliance but also provide a rationale as
to why organizations should do more than the minimum.

Support active and positive procedures to
responding to allegations of workplace misconduct.
The AWI Guiding Principles provide employers with information to
establish processes and practices to follow when faced with an allegation of
workplace misconduct that needs to be investigated.

Contribute to a fair and equitable work
environment. The AWI Guiding Principles set the stage for
developing processes that are clear, known and applied consistently.

Provide tools that will build organizational
effectiveness. By implementing the AWI Guiding Principles,
employers make a demonstrable commitment to excellence and fairness in the
workplace, a concept increasingly important research
shows to employees, especially Generation Y.